Quick Gift Card Holder...

My neighbor is a SU! demo and she invited me to her stamp club the other night. This gift card holder is one of the projects we created...

First, we cut a piece of 4"x8" cardstock and scored it at 2 3/8" and again at 5 3/16". You could adjust those to easier measurements. Next we adhered a piece of patterned paper that measured 2 3/4"x4" that we used an edge punch on to the front middle of the 4"x8" strip. Then we took the 2 3/4"x8" piece of cream cardstock and folded it around the base we made and adhered the ends together. This made our belly band. All that was left then was to stamp the front of the band and we were done. You can't really see if in the picture but we added some of that wonderful irridescent ice glitter to the snowflake. So shimmery!

This is probably what Seth will find in his stocking with his iTunes gift card in it. ;) Thanks for stoppin' by today! I'll be back again tomorrow with a fun birthday card. Wednesday is my niece's birthday and my mom's is next week!

Katie

Weekend recap...

Hello everyone! I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and a great weekend as well. We went to my father and mother-in-law's house for lunch on Thanksgiving day. The kids really enjoyed it. My mother-in-law LOVES Christmas trees. Actually, she decorates at least one for other holidays as well...like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Here's a pic of her beautiful Thanksgiving tree that was in the formal dining room...

Isn't it beautiful?! Their home was a featured home in a fundraising parade so she decorated for the holidays a bit early this year. I counted a total of 5 actual decorated trees and 2 pine trees with lights next to one of the fireplaces. Just gorgeous. Here's a pic of Shelby's sassy little self next to the candycane tree in the kitchen...

This is one of the kids' favorite trees because grandma usually has is stuffed with edible candy canes. :) Look at her. Can you just see the sass?! hahaha

Well, against my original intentions, I DID go out and do some shopping on Black Friday. I started my shopping, however on Thanksgiving day. I hit Amazon.com pretty hard and got some GREAT deals for the kids. While Seth didn't end up getting the iPod Touch he wanted, we did find him an iPod Shuffle (I know, but he IS only 10!) and a new tv for his room. Oh, and a Razor scooter. Okay, so he has to share the tv with Cody but still...it's a good gift. We got Brian one of the same tv's too. A few toys for Shelby, some new Wii remotes and mom got an Otter Box for her iPhone. Everyone is happy...or will be.

The ONLY toy Shelby actually asked for is this...

It is the FurReal Friends GoGo My Walkin' Puppy. It is battery powered and the leash attaches and you push the buttons and the dog walks and barks. Yeah. Last year she wanted (and received) the FurReal Friends LuLu Cat. Loves it, still. This dod must be HOT this year because I lost if from my Amazon cart twice before I could get checked out. And every time I added it again from another seller the price jumped. When it hit $56 I gave up. I found it online at Wal-Mart for $44.88 but by the time we finished lunch and got back home, it was SOLD OUT. Sigh. So, I took a chance and called my local backwoods Wal-Mart to see if they had any. They did, and guess what? They held it for me!!! AND, while I was on hold for them to look for it, I found a link on the Wal-Mart website for a $5 off coupon for it. So, that paid for the special trip I had to make to pick it up. Yeah! Got the dog.

Then I ventured out with my best friend, Stacey, at about 10 pm. We hit Wal-Mart (again) for the midnight sale where I finished, yes I said finished, my Christmas shopping for the kids. Yeah!! Now, we stayed out and hit Old Navy, Kohl's and JC Penney's too...not to mention breakfast at Ihop....before we made it home at 630 Friday morning. Exhausted. The only other things I grabbed were a few pairs of pj pants at Penney's for Rocky and Brian. D.O.N.E. shopping! :) And, can you believe that one of the items I ordered on Amazon on Thursday showed up on my doorstep yesterday?! Seriously!

Okay, enough rambling from me. This Friday is the BIG Holiday Blog Hop. You won't want to miss it!!! Just click on the blinkie at the top of my blog on Friday and it will take you to the beginning of the blog hop.

I'll be back tomorrow with a fun little Christmas gift card holder I made at a SU! workshop. See you later!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to you! I thought today, instead of sharing a project I'd share with you what I'm most thankful for and follow up with some shopping fun. So, here goes...

Obviously, I'm thankful for my family. My husband is a very supportive man. He makes me laugh, feel warm and cozy and best of all, he respects and trusts in me. Rocky is very loving and works hard everyday to ensure we have all we need. He's thankful for me and for what we have and he focuses on the good and not what he wishes we had. My kids...they are all so very loving. Smart, healthy!, amazing personalities. They make me laugh 'til I cry. Brian is smart and VERY athletic. He loves to play sports...and video games. ;) Seth, is the family brainiac. He sets academic goals just to have something to overcome and he almost always exceeds the goals set for him. He loves music and is a true Momma's Boy. Cody. He is smart as a whip. But, Cody is a button pusher. He knows how to get to people and boy does he excercise that knowledge. hahah He's also very athletic. His favorite things right now are to ride his Razor or his bike. And that leaves us with Shelby. Oh Shelby. She is fiesty. Girly. Smart as they come. Adorable. And, Momma's Girl. She's the girl you'll see walking in a dress with tights and boots then watch her climb into a muddy, lifted 4x4 truck. ROFL! I'm also thankful for our health. With the exception of some allergies and Shelby's well-controlled asthma, we are all healthy. We are all home with each other at night, in a warm safe home with plenty of food to eat and heat to keep us warm. There are many, many more things I am thankful for but I won't bore you with anymore details. ;)

How 'bout some shopping talk?! My friend Karen mentioned on a previous post about wanting to see the boots I bought last week. Here's a pic of them...

I bought them in black and brown and boy and I glad I did. These are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn! I actually have fairly skinny legs and I have plenty of room for my jeans/leggings inside and room to walk. They are not tight at all. I wore these around all day Monday. We went to test drive a truck, went to pick up Rocky's jeans I'd ordered at the mall AND went grocery shopping. No discomfort, no blisters. Pure comfort!! Now, if you are looking for some boots I'd highly suggest these. AND, they're still on sale and if you buy them online you get FREE SHIPPING!! Click HERE to go to them if you are intersted. Karen, this may be just for you 'cause you could have them shipped home and not have to worry about flying with them!

On another note, since Black Friday is tomorrow, what is on your Christmas list this year?? Is there something you're really hoping your Santa will bring you?! Rocky and I don't usually exchange gifts. We just buy for the kids but every once in a while he'll surprise me. And, I usually tuck something like pj's under the tree for him from the kids. So, Rocky, if you're reading my blog today I'd LOVE to have the new Kindle 4. It would be nice to have that when I'm travelling next year so I can easily read without the bulk of books. Or, if you were thinking something a bit smaller I would thoroughly enjoy an iTunes gift card and some new earphones for my iphone. :) Just sayin'.

If you're still with me, for those of you who are hoping for some BIG crafty presents this year, be sure you check out the Scrap-Mart blog hop taking place next Friday. There are 30 blogs and TONS of prizes including a Slice Elite, Letterpress Combo Kits, and Silhouette is doing a giveaway on their blog during the hop...a $500 Mega Bundle that includes a Silhouette SD machine!!! And that's not all! We have tons of fabulous prizes from other sponsors like Copic, October Afternoon, Spellbinders, Unity Stamps and MORE!!! Remember, December 3rd and it starts on the Scrap-Mart blog. Just click on the blinkie at the top of my blog and it will take you there.

Birthday card...

My best friend, Stacey, needed a birthday card made for a friend of hers who is going to nursing school. She had found some digital stamps from Bugaboo so I chose one and made her this card...

The card base was made with my Spellbinders Grand Labels One Nestabilities and the die cutting on the fold technique. Next, I cut a small black/white polka dot piece in the bottom portion of the die and adhered it to my card base. I wanted to add more detail so I pulled out my new We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy handle and Zig Zag head. This was super easy to do! I used a ruler and lined it up on the piercing mat to help guide me. After stitching I added my image which was colored using Copic markers then cut using Spellbinders Oval and Scallop Oval Nesties. The sentiment was computer generated then cut out with the new Scrap-Mart Exclusive OvalSquare Label. I finished it off by adding some crinkled ribbon, bling and a Prima flower that was airbrushed to match.

I usually don't finish the inside of my cards. Typically, I'll handwrite my sentiment for a personal touch but since this card was being given by someone else, I added more detail.

Since I had stitched directly to the card base on the front, I cut a Spellbinders Grand Labels One in the next size down and adhered it to the inside left. Then I added my inside sentiment which was cut out using Spellbinders Labels Ten and layered on a Scrap-Mart Spellbinders Exclusive Labels One. A bit more bling and I was done.

Stacey was very happy with how the card turned out, as was I. The Grand Labels One are the PERFECT size for making shaped card bases! I know this is just one of many I will make with this shape. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I will be here with a short post...probably about shopping or sales :) if you care to drop in.

On another note, Scrap-Mart is having their annual Spellbinders Sale and it's good 'til midnight tonight! The sale DOES include the GRANDS!!!! Just click the picture below to begin shopping!



There's some great stuff left in stock so hurry over and check it out! Email me at katie@scrap-mart.com if you have any questions!

Thanksgiving placecards...

I have to tell you, I have NEVER made placecards for any holiday meal. Really, never. To some of you, this may sound CRAZY!! But, it's true. This year, I decided to make some for Cody and Shelby. Here's how they turned out...

You may be wondering why I only made the youngest ones placecards and not anyone else. Well, they always sit in the same place at every meal. They insist on it and will fight to the death for their seats. So, I thought it would be fun to "label" their seats and since they both recognize and know how to spell their names now, they'll really enjoy having their own, special seat. Here's a closer view of them...

Thanks to my Gazelle, these were super easy to make!! For Shelby's, I cut the card base out of Sunset Peach glitter paper. Then, I created a rectangle in the software and applied the embroidery tool. After cutting my holes, I applied the blackout feature to create the mat (around the holes) and expanded it to the size I desired and cut the rectangle out. After stitching through my embroidered holes, I added her name, also cut with the Gazelle, and finished it off with a coffee filter flower.

To create Cody's, I created the card base then cut the Rectangle 4x6 Framette (also available in die form HERE) from Gold glitter paper. Next, I cut his name out and added it to a label from the Funtime III software, which I adhered with American Crafts This to That Foam Tabs. I finished his off with some twine, a button and a few oak leaf die cuts.

They have already seen them and were so excited about them. Now, I only have to hope they make it 'til Thanksgiving. :) I have quite a few birthdays coming up so I am going to be working on birthday cards today. Hopefully I'll have one finished to share tomorrow. ;) Have a great Tuesday!

Katie

Kinder Crush

Good Monday morning!! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. I know I did. I'm sorry I didn't make it in with a post on Friday. I had the opportunity to go do some ME shopping on Thursday afternoon then I was in Tulsa ALL DAY Friday while Seth was in school. On a happy note, I did buy TWO pairs of boots. You know, the fun ones you tuck your jeans into that go half way up your leg. :) AND, I bought, are you ready for this?!...a pair of skinny jeans. I did, no joke. I cannot believe I made that jump. I never thought I would. But, I figured, I just bought two pair of boots and my boot leg jeans won't fit INSIDE them, right?! LOL! And, I had purchased a new outfit in Seattle...which was the reason for the boot hunt to begin with. ;) But, don't fret. I was armed with coupons. I saved $72 off EACH pair of boots. Yep, they were regularly priced at $100/pr and I paid $28 and some change each. Which paid for my jeans. HAHAHA

Okay, enough about my fun spree. :) Cody and Shelby's classes took a joint field trip to the pumpkin patch back in October. I snuck these pics of Shelby snuggling up to one of her brohter's classmates...Dakota, and I couldn't WAIT to scrap them. LOOK at her!! She's 4!!! Think I have anything to worry about?! ROFL!

The title came to me as soon as I saw the pics. I used my Gazelle for this entire project. First, I put the die cut paper in and instead of cutting the heart, I used the embroidery tool in the software to cut the holes then I stitched around them all. I LOVE the way this turned out and I know I'll be using that tool a lot more. The Gazelle handled my journaling for me too. I typed it up, dropped in my pen and let my Gazzy work. Then I replaced the blade, created boxes around my journaling and cut. It was that easy. I decided to create a mixed font title so I chose my fonts, created the words and the mat and cut. Again, super easy! I finished the layout off with some ruffled paper, crinkled ribbon and glitter hearts. The glitter paper I used on this layout is FABULOUS and it works WONDERFULLY in my Gazelle. I have also cut it using my Spellbinders dies and it cuts like a dream. You can find it in the BossKut online store.

I have a project about half completed and HOPE to have it up for you tomorrow. Have a great Monday!

Katie

Deal of the day...

Who doesn't love a good deal??? I know I do! Scrap-Mart started a sister company called Scrapace.com. Scrapace is ALL about deals. And GREAT deals at that. Today's deal is AWESOME!!!! I have it...paid $90 for it last year and guess what? Today YOU can get it for $15.99. Yeah, no joke. So, what is today's deal??? Check it out...

Um, yeah, $16.99!!! At that price, buy 2 and give one to your scrappy BFF. She'll LOVE you for it! But, you better hurry because we are already sold more than half. Yep, we'll be sold out very soon!

And, be sure to stop by and sign up for the Scrapace newsletter so you remember to check it daily! You never know what might show up next. ;)

Okay, as you may know the Scrap-Mart Holiday Blog Hop is coming up fast. I am working diligently to get all the details ironed out so please excuse my project absence. I WILL have projects to share next week. Maybe by the end of this week...which is tomorrow. Yikes. Gotta go...I WILL be back tomorrow. I will. See you then.

Katie

Has anyone seen my mojo???

I can't seem to find it anywhere. I have had lots of "work" to do which usually consists of sitting at my computer answering emails, tracking stuff and following up. I think I have done so much of that lately I just haven't felt like creating. Which is no good 'cause I have LOTS that I need to finish up. Sooo, I'm sad to report no project today. I need to go to work.

On a lighter note, I walked again today. This time I walked a total of 1.5 miles and ran .3. Yeah, only .3 but you don't understand. I HATE to run. H.A.T.E. to run. Like, would rather have a root canal kind of H.A.T.E. And, yes, my mother told me that hate is not a nice word. But, I'm going to overcome that hatred. I'm going to fight back. I enjoy my morning walks. And after I ran, even just that short little bit, I felt good. Really good. I could feel that cool, brisk winter wind waaay down deep. I will keep going. I will .3 the rest of this week and shoot for .6 next week. Oh, and in case you're wondering were I'm getting my figures at, I drove my route and one time around was .3. ;)

Okay, enough. I'm going to work...well, going to create. That's work, right?! Have a great Wednesday!

Katie

Sweet Treats...

Since I was going to the very last show of 2010, I wanted to take my friends something nice. But, it had to be something small that I could fly with so I decided to make some homemade cinnamon rock candy and decorate litle treat boxes for them. Here's how they turned out...

I had picked up these little 3x3 clear boxes at the stamp show in Novi earlier this year and thought they'd be perfect. I decorated them each specifically for the person they were for. Here's a close up look at them...

This one was for Amy. She has two beautiful daughters and has a fun, girly side. I added the ribbon then cut down a Melissa Frances journaling block to fit the front of the box. The title was created by cutting 'sweets' from my Bon Appetit Slice design card, adding some Making Memories mini ledger alphas then finishing it up with some Sassafras Lass glitter alphas. The white crepe paper is also from Melissa Frances. I cut it into a thin strip, adhered the ends together then flattened it out and added the Prima flower to the top. For a final touch, I added some white Smooch Ink to make it shimmer.

This one was for my friend, Angela, with The Button Farm. I thought it'd be fun to use the same colors she uses and of course, I HAD to add some buttons. ;) I cut the banner using the Parties Slice Design Card and the monogram A using the Sock Hop Fonts Slice design card. Some twine, buttons and crinkled ribbon finished it off.

This box was for Mary. Mary is classy and likes vintage things so I thought I'd go for a distressed and simple but elegant look for her. I chose a color scheme that is not my norm, but I like how it turned out. Mary is the mother of Stacey Caron, owner of Spellbinders! So, I thought I probably should use my Spellbinders dies for her box. hahaha I made some more of Karen's coffee filter flowers, inked and layered them up and that was it.

I just finished my morning walk. I did 1.5 miles today. It's a start. As much as I hate to run, I'd like to slowly move into running. I know it would be better for me. I HAVE to make some changes. For me. Only for me. Okay, enough about me. I'm going to shower, you all have a great day! ;)

Katie

Busy, busy...

Hi everone!! I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I sure did. I flew out last Thursday for the Seattle CK convention, the last show of the year!! I was so excited that I got to do this show. Now, we were working so I didn't get to do any sight seeing, sadly. But, I did get to do a bit of shopping at the Bellvue mall where I purchased a new outfit and I had dinner at Red Robbin and California Pizza Kitchen, neither of which had I eaten before. They were both delicious.

I finally arrived home at about 7 pm last night after waking up at 3 am, flying to LA where I spent more than three hours in the airport, then flying to Tulsa and driving home. I was exhausted, to say the least. My wondeful hubby had dinner ready so after a quick shower, I ate, snuggled the kiddos and went to bed.

So, here I am today, Monday, playing catch up for all the things I didn't accomplish since last Thursday. I DO have a project I'd planned on sharing today BUT, I decided to share some other information instead. hehehe Bloggers perogative, right?! hehehe

You may have noticed I added some info under my blog header last week. Scrap Mart is hosting our very first Hoiday Blog Hop on Friday, December 3. Well, let me tell you that this hop is going to be BIG!!!! I mean B. I. G. Not only are the SM designers showing you some great holiday inspiration, BUT we have more than 20 other designers joining in too. Like, Sharon Harnist, Debbie Olson, Heidi Blankenship, Angela Barkhouse, Stephanie Kraft, Stephanie Barnard, Maren Benedict and MORE!! Do I have your attention yet??? Well, if not then I will after I tell you that ONE of the prizes we are giving away is a SLICE ELITE machine!!!! Yep, and design cards. And stamps and dies from Heartfelt Creations. And dies from BossKut, Sizzix and Spellbinders. And stamps from Unity and the Stamps of Life. AND MORE!!! Yes, I said more!!! This is one hope you DON'T want to miss. Be sure you tell your friends because the more people we have particpate and hop, the MORE prizes we'll give away!!! And, just for fun, I'm going to give away a prize to the person who drives the most people to the blog. So, hit Facebook, your blogs, Twitter or however you share your info and tell your friends to stop by the SM blog on Friday, December 3 and join in on the hop. And be sure they leave a comment and tell us who sent them. The person who sent them AND one of their friends will win a prize!!! How does that sound??

Now, I'll be back tomorrow with the project I had planned to share today. I just couldn't hold that in any longer. hehehe Have a great Monday!

Katie

Fabric flower hairbow

Hi all and Happy Friday! I am in Seattle for day one of the last CK convention of the year! I thought I'd share with you a hairbow I made with the fabric flowers I showed you a few weeks ago.

I took the fabric flower and layered some crinkled ribbon I'd tied into three consecutive bows on it. Then, I took a crystal-looking charm from Melissa Frances and hot glued it to the center. All that was left after that was to hot glue it to a clippie. You could easily whip one of these up in about 30 minutes...from start to finish. I made the two shown in the picture for my friend Laura's daughters. I am really happy with how they turned out!

Well, I hope you guys enjoy your weekend! I'll be back on Monday with some fun treat boxes I made for some special friends of mine. See you then!

Katie

New Slice layering feature

Making Memories has added a GREAT new feature to some of the newly released designed card. It is called layering. The layering feature cuts the shape into pieces that you cut individually then layer on the base instead of having to cut the same piece numerous times in different colors to get the same effect. It is MUCH easier and I really hope this is a feature that they make available on all new design cards. Here's a short video I shot that shows you how easy it is...

I have a few projects planned with the new Noel card for next week! :) Feel free to email me at katie@scrap-mart.com if you have any questions.

Katie

Scarlet Lime Watch kits...

Have you seen the fun beaded watches from Scarlet Lime?? They are just fabulous! Here's a picture of my favorite one, Black Metals...

Mine has a fun zebra print face on it. LOVE it! I have three of them now...just can't get enough.

Anyway, Scarlet Lime has these bead kits you buy. Everything you need, except for the watch face, is in the box. Then, you just string it together. The first one I did took me about 20 to 30 minutes but now, I can string one and have it done in about 15. You can buy them directly from Scarlet Lime OR you can get them from Embellish It online. Embellish It has a wider variety of watch faces to choose from. I buy my from Embellish It at the conventions and usually put them together in the hotel room, it's that easy.

Well, I hope you are all having a great weekend! I've got lots to try to finish up today before I leave for Seattle tomorrow. I'm super excited as this is the last show for 2010! Yeah! But, have no fear, I WILL be back tomorrow!

Katie

Congrats Grad...

My hubby's good friend finished his online college courses and obtained his Associate's in Business Management. His wife threw his a little get together last weekend and Rocky and I stopped in. Of course, I could't go to a party without a handmade card could I? hehehe

I wanted something masculine and for an adult BUT I still wanted it to carry the school theme. So, I pulled out my October Afternoon Report Card Collection kit and went to work...

I used my Big Shot Pro and the A6 Scallop Card and Envelope dies to cut the card and envelope. While I stuck with a plain white cardstock base for the card, I took advantage of OA's double sided patterned paper and used the fun argyle pattern for the envie. Most of the pieces used came from the collection kit, with the exception of the 'Congratulations' stamp and the tickes and ticket stamp. Those are all from Papertrey Ink. I inked up all the edges with my Quick Quotes Chalk Inks. I finished the card off by adding a touch of crinkled ribbon. The card was a bit bulky and double sided cardstock is MUCH thicker than a standard envelope so I adhered half a piece of round velcro tabs under the flap to help keep it closed. This also keeps the envelope in tact after opening...no rips or tears from being glued shut.

Rocky, knowing how much pride and care I put into my handmade cards/gifts, didn't bat an eye when he told his friend that I made that JUST for him and if he's not going to keep it to give it back. Fortunately, Rocky and Curtis and been good friends for a LONG time so everyone thought it was hilarious. And, it made me feel good that Rocky didn't want to see something I made end up in the trash either. I know he's kept every card I've ever made him.

Well, that's all I have for today. I have a few projects to finish up and need to start packing as I leave for Seattle on Thursday. I will be back with another project tomorrow though. See you then!

Katie

Give thanks for all things...

Hi all and Happy Monday! I was able to make some crafty projects over the weekend that I actually CAN share with you. hahaha Today, I'm sharing a fall inspired card that would make a great 'thank you' card or even better, a great 'Happy Thanksgiving' card...

I used my Gazelle to help me create this card. The card base was created by taking the file for the frame, removing the center piece, creating a shadow that I duplicated then welding the two pieces together. It sounds a lot more difficult than it really is. After cutting the card base, I cut the frame from glitter cardstock and adhered it. Next, I created the flower with Karen's tutorial which can be found HERE. The leaves and tag were also cut using the Gazelle. Finally, I stamped the sentiment from Unity's August Retailer KOTM, inked the edges and wrapped the card with some twine. This card took only about 25 minutes from thought to finish.

If you have a digital die cut machine then you should really take a look at the Framette & Florette cd from Bosskut. The cd contains 21 vector images and they are WONDERFUL for creating your own shaped cards. And, the flowers are great because you can cut them in different sizes and layer them.

Thanks for stoppin' by today! More to come tomorrow!

Katie

My Review of Madeline Rolling Fashion Travel Satchel in Zebra

Originally submitted at Luggage.com

Features:

• Exotic zebra print perfectly complimented with silver-finished hardware
• Multi-stage aluminum push button trolley handle system
• It retracts to 13.5" and extends to 38" tall when needed
• Quiet recessed inline wheels glide on sealed b...

Madeline Rolling Fashion Travel Satchel in Zebra

Excellent Bag!!

By Katie P from Prue, OK on 11/5/2010

 

5out of 5

Pros: Easy To Identify, High Quality, Easy To Access Items, Good Capacity

Best Uses: Long Vacations, Weekend Trips, Office, Family Trips

Describe Yourself: Stylish

Travel Frequency: 11-19 Annual Trips

Primary use: Business

I bought this to use when I travel. I have a 17" laptop and got tired of lugging in on my shoulder! This bag is amazing! First off, it's just gorgeous! I LOVE the detail and zebra print is my fav right now. The padded laptop space holds my 17" perfectly AND I can still zip the center compartment closed. The center copartment also has a spot for my cell phone or whatever else I would need to stash there PLUS it still has plenty of room for my wallet, etc. The two outer pockets zip separately from each other and the main compartment and are just right to stash reading material or snacks for the plane. My next trip is next week and I can't wait to use it! The handle extends and retracts smoothly and I love that it has feet on the bottom to help keep it clean and keep it from getting damaged.

I would also like to add that I was super impressed with the customer service I received when placing my order via phone as well as the super fast shipping!! I ordered Tuesday and received it Friday!!

(legalese)

MIA

Hey everyone, sorry I've been MIA the last day or so. I have been working. Not only on projects but I'm gearing up for the Scrap-Mart Holiday Blog Hop! It will take place on Friday, December 3rd and we are planning BIG things! Hopping, projects, and PRIZES!!! You won't BeLieVe that the GRAND PRIZE is!!!! Trust me, you will want to hop along! Blogs during the hop will have random prizes and at the end, YOU could win a SLICE ELITE!!! Yep, that's right, I said it...a SLICE ELITE!!! So, gather your friends and mark your calendar! I'll have more details in the coming weeks. In the mean time, I must get ready. On top of coordinating and working with our wonderful sponsors to secure prizes, I MUST create for my part in the hop as well. Soo, I'm taking a few more days off 'cause everything I have on my creative calendar right now can't be shared. :( But, no fear I'll be back with something wonderful!

See you soon!

And, if you'd like to be a stop in our holiday blog hop, email me at Katie@scrap-mart.com and I'll get you the deets.

Katie

Many thanks...

20 to be exact. My niece got married at the end of the summer...actually the day I left for CHA Chicago (hehehe)and her in-laws helped throw her and her new hubby a shower. Since they are YOUNG newlyweds, they had pretty much NOTHING. So family, friends and church members came and gathered and I promised to make her handmade thank you cards to send out to everyone. I completed and delivered them yesterday. Here's a peek at how they turned out...

I knew I need a clean and simple and non-bulky design. And I figured the less detail, the faster I could produce them. I worked in sections preparing the card bases first then the black cardstock, added the ribbon and finally stamped, embossed and attached the tabs. The white cardstock, ribbon and stamp are from SU!. The black cardstock was from my stash...probably Hobby Lobby...and I used Versamark Ink and American Crafts Glitter Zing Embossing Powder. They came together rather quickly and she was very happy with them.

So, today, I am uploading pics to be printed and beginning work on my very detailed altered project for my submission to the Spellbinders DT. Have a great day and I'll see ya later!

Katie

I'm late, I'm late....

I got sidetracked yesterday due to an unexpected, but good news phone call. I thought I was done travelling for the year but alas, I get to attend the FINAL scheduled show in Seattle, WA next week. I'm excited as I hear the last shows are always a blast! hehehe I'd already been looking at luggage for next year. The cheapy suitcase I was using had already torn...like on my second flight this year...and I figured I had plenty of time to find a replacement. Until I got the call yesterday, that is. Soooo, the hunt was on. Many of you probably don't know this but I have a thing for zebra print. Yep, I know, it's silly but I LOVE it. In fact, my iphone case is zebra. I Googled 'til my fingers hurt and came across this really cool briefcase on wheels. Briefcase? Yeah, I know, not luggage BUT when I travel I take my laptop due to my other job duties with Scrap-Mart. Sound like justification? Maybe. Anyway, the briefcase was big enough to hold my 17" laptop with a padded section for it, three zipper compartments and, yep, you guessed it, it's zebra print. hehehe I also like that it had 4 inline wheels so I don't have to drag it behind me. See...

Isn't it gorgeous???

Well, I still need a suitcase, right?! So, now I need a zebra suitcase to match my briefcase. LOL! I found one I liked at Penney's online. Hardside, spinner wheels (no dragging) and zebra. ON SALE too! However, I leave next Thursday for Seattle and that item ships from the manufacturer, IN A WEEK. Sigh. No go. After MUCH research, I found the same bag at the same site as the briefcase. $35 more. Sigh. Soooo, I called and guess what?! They price matched AND it will ship ground, FOR FREE, in less than 48 hours. Fingers crossed BOTH my pieces get here by Wednesday so I can pack. My flight leaves terribly early Thursday so no packing the morning of. Yeah for my new luggage.

Sorry, hope that didn't bore you. hehehe Just wanted to share my fun. ;) Did you happen to see yesterday that Spellbinders posted their 2011 DT Call???? I SURE DID!! I promised a friend I'd submit this year...after chickening out last year. Sad, I know. But, have you SEEN what the SB design teams have done??? Amazing work. I have had to opportunity to meet Stacey and Jeff...the masterminds behind the company. As well as Stacey's sisters and mother. I cannot even begin to describe to you what wonderful people they are! And Stacey treats her dt like royalty!! Anyway, I figure it's like the lottery...you can't win if you don't play!! ;) And since I had promised my friend I'd submit, I was already working on my entries...and was prepared to share...but I read that they must not have been shared on the internet. Soooo, now I cannot share, at least until after Jan. 3. Anyway, if you think you may be interested in applying you can read all about the call HERE on the Spellbinders blog. If you do submit, I wish you the best of luck.

Okay, I'm off to work on some TOP SECRET stuff. hahaha See you soon!

Katie

November is here!!

I know I say this a lot but I seriously cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. It's November 1st already!! Sigh. But, if you don't already know, Fall is my FAVORITE time of year. I love the cooler weather, sweaters and best of all fires in the fireplace!!! I am sooooo excited that our new home has a wood burning stove. There's nothing better than some real, natural heat in your home. Plus, it'll help knock out our electric bill some too. ;)

It seems I've been making LOTS of cards and altered projects lately and little to no scrappin'. I'm missing it. I have a few layouts planned that I will start working on this week and next. In the mean time, I thought I'd share a fun layout I did with last year's pumpkin patch pics.

I used my Gazelle to cut all the elements for this layout. I thought the large pumpkin would be perfect for my background page. A little inking and the scarecrow finished the layout off. I even added some raffia to the scarecrow for added detail! If you have a digital die cutter you can find the files I used from BossKut on their site, bosskutdiecuts.com.

I have some great pics from this year's trip and can't wait to get them printed! Thanks for joining me today! Hope to see you again tomorrow!

Katie